Poll worker spends Election Day on 16-hour shift

Before 2010, IU graduate student Julie Archer had never voted in a midterm election. This year, she not only voted, she volunteered to work about a 16-hour day at a polling location.

Archer saw an e-mail from The School of Health, Physical Education and Recreation asking for Election Day volunteers. She decided to sign up on Oct. 27.

“I was looking for candidates and saw on the county government’s website they still needed volunteers,” Archer said.

Shortly after signing up, Archer received a phone call informing her she would be the Republican Sheriff for the Teter polling location.

Both a Republican Sheriff and a Democratic Sheriff are required to be stationed at each polling location.

As Archer sat on a chair just outside the entrance to the Teter Formal Lounge, she described her sheriff duties for the day.

“We answer people’s questions, direct them to the voting area and remind them to pull out their IDs,” Archer said.

Archer said the county government was worried about problems with excessive campaigning at polling locations. Another part of her job is to keep those campaigners at bay.

Campaigners are required to stay at least 50 feet away from the polling booths, she said.

“If there’s a riot or anything, we’re ready to take care of it,” Archer said, jokingly.

One woman stood about 50 feet from the polling booths campaigning about Public Question Two, also known as the Monroe County Community School Corporation referendum.
 
Archer said the woman had asked where she could stand earlier in the day and that there hadn’t been any problems.

Archer was still wearing her winter hat that afternoon and her red jacket hung from her chair. Both clothing items were a sign of the cold morning she endured while sitting near Teter’s circle drive entrance.

“We were both wearing our coats when the door was opening up, but it’s warmed up since,” Archer said.

Archer had to wake up at 4 a.m. in order to report for her volunteer Sheriff duty at 5 a.m..

“I just got up and made some coffee and drove over here,” Archer said. “We’ve had some caffeinated products and food today.”

A thick stack of reading material sat on the floor next to Archer’s chair.
“I have a lit review due tomorrow so I’m trying to get that done,” she said.

Nine and a half hours into her volunteer duties, she had managed to read four packets from the stack.

At 5:50 p.m., 10 minutes before the polls closed, Archer was out of her seat to regulate the voting line, making sure people had signed in before they voted.

She looked at the line of 16 people waiting to vote. Archer and her fellow volunteers at the Teter polling location couldn’t start to count votes until the last people in line had cast their ballots.

“Somebody said it’s going to take three hours to count these votes,” Archer said, which means she won’t get to leave until about 9 p.m.

She glanced across the room at a table filled with sandwiches.

“But they brought us more food,” she said.

Archer said she was tired, but enjoyed her day.

“I think it’s definitely been an experience,” Archer said. “I think I’d still do it again if they asked me.”